cyber bullying prevention - committee for children · poster 3: the three rs of bullying handout...

Cyber BullyingPrevention Lesson 3

© 2010 Committee for Children. All rights reserved.Updated November 2010800-634-4449www.cfchildren.org

© 2010 Committee for Children2

Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention Module Lesson 3

Loss of Control and Predicting Consequences

ObjectivesStudents will be able to:• Understand “loss of control” over sent or posted messages• Understand the importance of predicting or “Thinking ahead” about how some online activities can become hurtful• Practice applying the four Rs to a cyber bullying situation

Lesson MaterialsGlossary Poster 3: The Three Rs of BullyingHandout 3A: Jack’s Story, one per groupHandout 3B: Table Group Questions: Jack’s Story, one per groupHome Link 3: A Letter to Ms. Mouse, one per student

Teaching NoteDistribute copies of or be prepared to talk about your school’s rules about cyber bullying in this lesson.

Lesson Outline

1. Review the last lesson.

2. Introduce the concept of predicting the consequences of your actions.

Lesson Script and Instructions

Let’s review bullying and cyber bullying. In our last lesson, we looked at an email that was used to cyber bully a classmate. Remember the roles we played in responding to and reporting the bullying? We were not doing the bullying and we were not the target of the bullying.We were (bystanders).

That’s right. You were bystanders. And, as bystanders, how did you recognize it as bullying? (It was mean, deliberate, repeating.)

What were some ways you said you could refuse to participate in the cyber bullying? (Send out a reply saying that we wouldn’t stop talking to Lisa. Refuse to go to the party. Refuse to spread the rumor.)

For homework, you worked on how you were going to report it. What did you come up with? (Various answers.)

Arrange students into pairs. Part of our definition of bullying is that bullying is mean and on purpose. When we are doing things online, we have to be very careful about that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/25/top-six-ways-to-kill-pipe_n_207285.html



© 2010 Committee for Children 3

Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention ModuleLesson 3

3. Discuss how it’s possible to lose control over what happens to something that is sent out into cyber space.

We really have to think ahead, to predict, to make sure that nothing we do can be used in an uncomfortable, mean, or hurtful way.

Let’s talk about that for a minute. Can you think of a time in real life when something was supposed to be nice or fun—maybe a joke or some friendly teasing? But, instead, be-cause someone didn’t predict what would happen, it became uncomfortable, mean, or hurtful.

Give a personal example if students cannot come up with one. Answers may include times when joking and teasing stopped being fun and began to make someone feel bad. Maybe a time when someone pushed or bumped into a friend in a funny way, but the friend actually got hurt. Maybe drawing funny pictures that hurt another person’s feelings.

What did you (or the people) do about it? Answers will vary, but will likely include the idea of apologizing.

Now let’s talk about this same kind of thing using technology.

When you send an email, text, or post something to a Web site, how long does it take to do so? (It’s instant. Sometimes, it might take a few seconds or minutes for a blog posting to appear, but usually it’s right away.)

When you send an email, who gets it? (The person or people you send it to.)

Who else? This may be a new concept for some students. The best answer is “We don’t know” or “It could be anyone.”

Emails can be copied or forwarded to anyone without the original sender knowing. We have no control over who else gets a message we send.

Can you take it back? (No, not really. Once it is sent, the sender really has no control over what happens to it.)

Did you ever send or receive an email by mistake? Raise your hand if you did. Show me your fingers in the air of you want to tell us what happened. Keep your fist closed if this happened to you but you don’t want to talk about it.



4. Distribute Handouts 3A and 3B, one each per group.

5. Call on students to report their groups’ answers to the questions.

Remember, do not use real names. Answers may vary, and there may be some interesting and very telling stories. You may want to tell an interesting or funny story from your own experience, such as a time when you sent a note to your mother that was supposed to go to your friend, or something similar.

When you post a blog, who can read it? If something is on YouTube, who can see it? (Anybody who finds or is shown it.) Students may suggest that you can set your privacy settings or only allow certain people to see your posts. Agree that this is a good idea, but remind them that they have no control over what others do with your postings.

It is important to remember that once you send or post something, you have no more control over it.

Arrange your class into table groups. Distribute Handout 3A. Have them read it themselves, or read it aloud to them. Listen to Part 1 of Jack’s Story (or: Take a couple minutes to read Part 1 of Jack’s Story). In your small groups, talk about the story and about the “book” the boys wrote. I’ll give you some things to talk about. Choose one person to be your group’s reporter. Distribute one Handout 3B to each group’s reporter.

Give students enough time to read through the story and discuss the questions.

Was the book a good idea? Why or why not? (Probably yes. They wanted Jack to feel better.)

Yes. Jack’s friends’ intention—what they meant to have happen—was to be funny and to make Jack feel better.

Were the slides a good idea? Why or why not? (Answers may vary. The pictures were meant to be funny, but could be interpreted as mean if you didn’t read all of the words.)

How do you think Jack might feel when he finally gets to read his book? (Answers may vary. He might think it was funny. He might not like some of the pictures. He would probably be glad that his friends had nice things to say about him and wanted him to feel better.)


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention ModuleLesson 3

6. Read Jack’s Story, Part 2.

7. Discuss loss of control and recognize the situation as cyber bullying. Call on students individually, or have them turn to a partner to discuss and tell the class their ideas as time allows.

8. Apply the four Rs to the situation.

Is this an example of bullying? (No, not by definition, but Jack may not have thought the pictures were respectful.)

Now let’s see what happened next. Read Part 2 of Jack’s Story. Give the class some time to read and fully digest the situation.

Was it a good idea for Marcus to send Robbie the slides? (No. He did not think ahead or predict what Robbie might do with them.)

How did the situation change after Marcus sent Robbie the book? (Marcus lost control. Robbie took off the words at the bottom of each slide and removed the last slide, which turned the book into something mean. Robbie posted it on the Internet for all the world to see. He, too, lost control. It was no longer a small, private group. Now everybody could see it and make fun of Jack. It was public and it was permanently on the Internet.)

Is this an example of cyber bullying? (Yes. It was hurtful, intentional, or on purpose, and automatically repeated every time someone saw it.)

We talked earlier about the idea of “loss of control.” How did Marcus and Robbie each lose control of the situation? (Marcus lost control over what was on the slide to Robbie. Robbie lost control over how many people would see it.)

What will happen to the new book? Answers will vary, but it is permanently and publicly on the Internet. It will probably be taken down (pulled), but it will still remain somewhere.

Let’s talk about the first three Rs. Remember, you are bystanders here. How can you be part of the solution? (Recognize that this is cyber bullying. Refuse to visit or share the links. Refuse to participate in the conversations and laugh-ter at Jack’s expense. Say something kind or supportive to Jack. Report this to an adult—a teacher, counselor, the principal, or a parent.)

In our last lesson, we talked about a fourth R: record. How would you record this situation? (Save the URL. Print the page. Take a screen shot for evidence.)



9. Have students write the end of Jack’s Story in their journals.

10. Summarize the lesson.

11. Distribute and explain the Home Link activity.

If you report this to your teacher or principal, what do you think school can or should do? Answers will vary. They will probably range from “nothing” to “make it stop” to “fix it for Jack!” to “punish the boy who did this.”

If students have trouble coming up with constructive ideas, ask: What are the school rules against bullying? Cyber bullying? What is the school’s internet use policy? (Schools can contact the parents of student who are bullying. They can also provide help, such as counselors, for Jack if he needs it.)

Adults also have an R. It’s receive. Adults need to say calm, listen, and look patiently at what you need to show or tell them. What would you do if you made a report to an adult and he or she didn’t listen or help? (Keep telling other adults until someone helps.)

Have your students take out their journals. Allow six to eight minutes for this activity. Jack’s story is not over. Finish the story. Write a short ending that tells what happened next to Jack, Marcus, Robbie, and all their friends. Collect the journals at the end of the lesson.

There are some very important things for you to remember from Jack’s Story: once you send something, you lose control over what happens to it. Once you post something, it is publicly and permanently on the Internet. Therefore, it is very important to think ahead, to predict what could happen to the things you are saying and posting. Ask yourself: Is this respectful? Would I say this to someone in person? If the answer is no, don’t post it. Students may have questions about privacy settings. Remind them that privacy settings are great if they used properly. However, once you share something on the Internet, you lose control, and you do not know what other people will do with it.

Read Jack’s Story, both parts, with your family at home. Talk about what happened and predict what might happen next. One of the students in Jack’s class—a bystander—wrote to “Dear Ms. Mouse,” an advice column. With an adult at home, pretend you are Ms. Mouse and write a response to help Jack’s classmate be a bystander who is part of the solution.


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention ModuleFamily Handout 3

Dear Families:

We are about to begin our third cyber bullying prevention lesson. As you know, the first two lessons defined cyber bullying and reminded students that the three Rs of bullying also apply to bullying situations involving technology. Hopefully, your home conversations are going well, and the information and materials your student brings home are helpful.

Our third cyber bullying prevention lesson focuses on the idea that when we are doing things online, we have to be very careful to think ahead, predict consequences, and make sure that nothing we do can be used in an uncomfortable, mean, or hurtful way. Students will learn that they lose control of messages once the messages are sent. They lose control because the messages—which are gone in an instant—can be changed or modified and then sent on to other people. They can also be both blind copied or simply forwarded to additional recipients. This makes it is very important to think about what we say and do before we send, text, or post any information.

We will also address our fourth cyber bullying prevention R: record. We will talk about the fact that, at times, it is necessary to document or “record” cyber bullying so students have evidence to show when reporting it to parents, teachers, or other trusted adults.

Students will receive a Home Link activity that will help them think of ways bystanders to cyber bullying can become part of the solution. I encourage you to work together to come up with ideas!

Sincerely,

This is a story about Jack... ...without hitting a home run

He can’t play soccer…

...without scoring a goal.

He’s teacher’s pet…

...cuz he’s so smart.

He can’t play baseball...


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention Module Handout 3A

Jack’s Story

Part 1Everybody knows Jack. He’s in Mr. Jones’s class. He pretty much gets along with everybody. Last week, though, he really blew it! During a football game with all the guys, Jack fumbled the ball. Robbie, a boy in a different classroom and on the other team, picked up the fumble and scored a touchdown. Robbie’s team won the game.

After the game, Jack felt terrible. His buddies teased him a bit, but they stopped because they saw how awful he felt.

Later the other boys on the team thought it would be funny to play a joke on Jack to make him feel better. A boy named Marcus said, “Let’s make a funny ‘Jack’ book. We can make some funny pictures of Jack and make him laugh.” The others thought that was a good idea. Marcus had a plan. He and the other boys would each make one funny slide about Jack. Then Marcus would put them all together and make them look like a little book. They would give Jack the book and make him feel better.

So each boy made one slide and sent it to Marcus, who put them all together to make a book. Here it is:

They thought it was all pretty funny. But the last slides were the ones they liked the best.

He can’t talk to girls…

...without making them laugh

Then he lost us the gameby fumbling the ball...

...well, no one is perfect.

Don’t worry, Jack!

You’re still number one with us.


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention ModuleHandout 3A

Part 2In school, Jack was still feeling sad about the game, even though his friends were all pretty happy. He did not know that they were all busy making slides and sending them back and forth so that Marcus could put the “book” together.

By Wednesday, the boys were almost done. Marcus had put the pages together in a nice format so that they would all look alike. He sent the nearly done book to the other boys. He also sent one to Robbie, the boy who recovered the fumble and made the touchdown. He told Robbie what he and his friends were doing for Jack to try to cheer him up.

When Robbie saw the “book” he laughed. “Great idea!” he said to Marcus in his email reply. But on Thursday, Robbie also did something else. He thought it would be funny to post the slides on the Internet. He deleted the nice words from the bottom of each slide, and he deleted the last slides on the presentation. Then he posted the changed slides on YouTube and his Facebook page. He also sent links to both sites back to all his friends and to Marcus. By Friday, most of the kids at school had seen the “book” before Jack saw it himself. When he got to school, kids from both classrooms were in the hallway laughing at Jack. Robbie was the loudest.

Marcus and the others on his team told him what had happened. Still, Jack felt hurt and angry.

This is a story about Jack...

He can’t play soccer… He’s teacher’s pet…

He can’t play baseball...

He can’t talk to girls…


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention Module Handout 3A

Then he lost us the gameby fumbling the ball...


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention ModuleHandout 3B

Table Group Questions: Jack’s Story1. Was the book a good idea? Why or why not?

2. Were the slides a good idea? Why or why not?

3. How do you think Jack might feel when he finally gets to read his book?

4. Is this an example of bullying?

Dear Jack’s Friend,

Sincerely,Ms. Mouse

Dear Ms. Mouse,

I have a problem. Some kids at my school started to play a joke on one of our classmates. They were writing a story book about him. It was supposed to be funny. One guy who got it made it not at all funny. He changed the book so that it was mean. Then he posted it for everybody to see. Now my classmate is really mad and sad.

What can I do to help? What can I tell all the other kids at school?

Thanks,Jack’s Friend

Age: Ask Ms. MouseGrade:


Steps to Respect® Cyber Bullying Prevention Module

A Letter to Ms. MouseOne of the students in Jack’s class—a bystander—wrote to “Dear Ms. Mouse,” an advice column. With an adult at home, pretend you are Ms. Mouse and write a response to help Jack’s classmate be a bystander who is part of the solution.

Family signature(s) Date

Handout 3A

cyber bullying prevention - committee for children · poster 3: the three rs of bullying handout...

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